Maite Cáceres is a Uruguayan racing driver who fought for over a decade to break into motorsports and has since become the first Latin American woman to compete on the F1 development ladder, racking up podiums across multiple series including a third-place championship finish in both the 2024 Mazda MX-5 Cup and JS US Formula 4.

EARLY YEARS

Born August 6, 2002, in Uruguay, Maite Cáceres didn’t just grow up around racing—she practically inhaled it from birth. Her father was a Rally Argentino champion from 2017 to 2019, and her older brother Juan carved out his own path in formula racing across the United States and Europe, winning the 2003 Formula BMW Junior Cup. As Cáceres herself puts it, she was at the racetrack “ever since [she was] in [her] mom’s womb, smelling oil gas.” It was, she says, “a natural world” for her.

But natural didn’t mean easy. At eight years old, Maite announced she wanted to race. Her parents, despite their own deep ties to motorsports, said no. And they kept saying no for twelve years. While her father conquered rally stages and her brother navigated formula cars, Maite spent over a decade pleading her case, watching from the sidelines, and refusing to let go of the dream. Finally, at seventeen, she wore them down. In 2018, she climbed into a kart in Uruguay and began the racing career she’d been fighting for since she was a kid.

By that point, most aspiring racers had years of experience under their belts. Cáceres was just getting started—and she wasn’t about to waste any time.

OTHER INTERESTS

When she’s not racing, Cáceres is a business administration student at West Campus, maintaining a 3.0 GPA while juggling sponsorship meetings, race prep, and a schedule that starts at 8 a.m. and doesn’t quit. There’s little room for much else—her days are tightly packed, her focus laser-sharp. Racing is the priority, and everything else slots in around it.

EARLY SUCCESS

Cáceres made up for lost time quickly. After three years of karting in Uruguay, she finished second overall in the 2020 DD2 Uruguayan Karting Championship, becoming the first female driver to reach the podium in the DD2 class in her home country. It was a statement: she belonged here, and she was fast.

In 2021, she transitioned to single-seaters, competing in both Fórmula 4 Uruguay and the FRP Eastern F4 series. She earned three podiums in Uruguayan F4 that season, finishing ninth overall with 45 points. It wasn’t glamorous, but it was progress—and proof that she could handle the jump from karts to cars.

By 2022, Cáceres had her sights set on bigger stages. She entered the Formula Winter Series for two rounds and continued building her resume in US Formula 4. Then, in 2023, she became the first Latin American woman to compete in the F1 Academy, racing for Campos Racing. Her best finishes that season were an eighth-place result at both Monza and Le Castellet, plus a tenth at Zandvoort. She ended the championship in fifteenth, but the significance wasn’t in the standings—it was in the fact that she was there at all, competing on the official F1 development ladder.

In 2024, Cáceres hit her stride. She finished third in the JS US Formula 4 championship with five podiums, never finishing lower than fifth in five races. She also joined RAFA Racing Club and McCumbee McAleer Racing to compete in the Mazda MX-5 Cup, where she delivered five podiums—including finishes at Road America, Mid-Ohio, and COTA—and secured another third-place championship finish. At New Jersey Motorsports Park, she earned three points, and at COTA, she placed fifth and twelfth in Races 2 and 3. It was a breakout season, and she did it while carrying a full course load in college.

NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS

• 2020: Vice-champion (2nd overall) in the DD2 Uruguayan Karting Championship; first female to podium in DD2 in Uruguay.
• 2021: Three podiums in Fórmula 4 Uruguay; finished 9th overall with 45 points.
• 2023: First Latin American female driver to compete in the F1 Academy, racing for Campos Racing; best finishes: 8th at Monza and Le Castellet, 10th at Zandvoort.
• 2024: Third place in the JS US Formula 4 championship with five podiums; first female driver to finish third in a US Formula 4 championship.
• 2024: Third place in the Mazda MX-5 Cup with five podiums (Road America, Mid-Ohio, COTA Race 1); drove the #12 car for RAFA Racing Club / McCumbee McAleer Racing.
• 2025: Featured in the Prime Video documentary series First To The Finish.

INSPIRATIONS

Cáceres credits her family—particularly her father and brother—for shaping her path into motorsports. Growing up surrounded by racing, with a rally champion father and a formula-racing brother, gave her both the exposure and the determination to push for her own seat. But the person who inspired her most might just be eight-year-old Maite, the kid who refused to take no for an answer.

REPUTATION

Within the paddock, Cáceres is recognized as a driver who’s accomplished a remarkable amount in a short time. Despite having fewer years of racing experience than most of her competitors, she’s proven herself “fascinating” and capable, earning podiums in multiple competitive series. Media coverage has been consistently positive, framing her as a history-maker who’s “chasing dreams at full speed” and “making her mark” on the international stage.

Her partnership with Campos Racing—a Spanish team with deep F1 ties—demonstrated industry confidence in her abilities, and her back-to-back third-place championship finishes in 2024 cemented her reputation as a legitimate contender. She’s also broken significant barriers: the first female podium finisher in DD2 karting in Uruguay, the first Latin American woman on the F1 development ladder, and the first woman to finish third in a US Formula 4 championship.

FUTURE GOALS/PLANS

As of 2024, Cáceres continues to race with RAFA Racing Club and McCumbee McAleer Racing in the Mazda MX-5 Cup, driving the #12 car. She remains enrolled in business administration courses, balancing her academic and racing commitments. Her stated goal is simple and unwavering: “I have been fighting for 12 years to compete in motorsports, and I am not planning on stopping any time soon.” Specific plans for 2025 and beyond have not been publicly detailed, but given her trajectory, it’s clear she’s not done climbing.

References:

Wikipedia: Maite Caceres
MDC The Reporter: Student Profile
Official Website: Maite Caceres
Mazda MX-5 Cup Official Site
IsItFast: 2023 F1 Academy Grid
WTF1 Talent: Maite Caceres Profile